a/n - I'll finish writing this one over the weekend, so you should get a chapter a day until it's done, and then I'll get back on Buried in the Past. Enjoy, and thanks for all the wonderful reviews.
It was just an hour past daybreak when Gibbs pulled into the parking lot at McGee's apartment. Abby was in the passenger seat, nervously picking at a thread on her skirt. "Are you ready for this?"
"I don't know. I just wish I could have talked to Roger first."
"Abs, having his confession as a peace offering really won't change anything for Tim and Sarah. They still need to come to terms with your part of what happened." When she didn't move, Gibbs reached up and grabbed a photo from on top his car's visor. It was several years old and dogeared, but it brought a smile to Gibbs' face as he stroked a finger across the familiar faces caught in a moment of levity after closing a case. "I want my family back together, Abby. Figure it out, make it right."
His tone gave her resolve and she nodded before climbing out of the car. Gibbs tucked the photo back in its spot before he joined her. At the door, he gave her an encouraging nod before knocking.
"Hey, Boss... Abby." Tim was dressed casually when he opened the door, Jethro bouncing around his feet. He let the canine respond to Abby for a minute before reigning him in. "Sarah, would you lock him in my bedroom, please?"
Tim and Abby stared at each other while Sarah was busy with Jethro. Rebecca was watching the interactions, so Gibbs was able to pull Richard to the side. "We need to talk about your father-in-law."
Richard took a deep breath, but managed to not show a reaction as he caught Becky's attention. "Honey, I'm going to go with Agent Gibbs. I think it will be easier for Abby and Sarah to talk with one less man here."
Her eyes narrowed as she studied her husband. Gibbs recognized the silent order to tell her later what was going on as she nodded her reluctant agreement.
Once the two men left, Rebecca pointed Abby to one of the chairs as mother and daughter sat on the sofa, holding hands. Tim stayed in the background. His plan was to sit at the dining room table and sort out his receipts so he could start his taxes, but he found himself too restless and was soon standing, leaning against the counter that separated the kitchen from the eating area.
Rebecca could feel Sarah's hand trembling in hers and decided to take the lead, getting answers out of the woman who seemed to have caused a great deal of pain to her family. "Abby, I have some questions I'd like to have answered, so why don't we start there?"
Abby shrugged, biting her lip as her practiced apology failed her.
"Whose idea was it to go to the club that night?" Rebecca watched Abby closely. "Did you know if Sarah had ever been there before?"
"It was my idea, ma'am, and I knew that Sarah had never been there before." Abby stared at her feet as she answered.
"The man that raped my daughter, did you know that he was going to be there?"
It sounded so much worse when broken down into the individual questions. "Yes, but I didn't know he was going to hurt her. Please, you have to believe me."
Rebecca pulled Sarah against her, tucking her daughter's head under her chin. "How did you know this man?"
"We were best friends in grade school. I though he was still a nice guy." Abby looked up before dropping her eyes back down. "I wanted to believe he was still a nice guy."
"Had you spent enough time with him recently to make that determination?"
"Obviously not. I'm so, so sorry." Abby started crying. "I never meant it to end up like this."
"How long did the three of you stay together after you introduced him to my daughter?"
"We didn't." Abby smeared her mascara as she wiped her eyes. "I introduced them and then I went to the restroom. Roger found me later and told me that he was taking Sarah out to a nicer place."
"And what did Sarah tell you?"
Black tinted teardrops fell on Abby's knee. "I never saw her. I'm sorry, I never, ever dreamed that he was going to take you out and hurt you instead." She started rocking back and forth. "I'm sorry."
"He'd already raped me by then." Sarah spoke for the first time, her words slightly muffled against her mom's shoulder. Rebecca started rocking her gently as she continued. "After you left he dragged me out to the dance floor. I wasn't comfortable with him, but I didn't want to cause a scene. I figured that dancing would be safe enough, though, but the music was so loud, and the strobe lights were almost blinding. I didn't even see the door until he pushed me through it... I screamed and screamed, but nobody out on the dance floor could hear us in there."
"Oh, God, I'm sorry." Abby listened, transfixed, as the details continued. The pain, the beating, the terror. His laughter as he tossed her cell phone out of her reach. Being unable to climb to her feet when he left, crawling to the door only to have him return before she could escape. The second assault, only to be dumped in the alley like garbage. Sarah's voice faded off as she clung to her mother, sobbing.
Rebecca kissed the top of her head as she soothed her. "It's over, baby. He's never going to hurt you again." She looked up at the woman sitting across from them. "Abby, how old are you?"
Rebecca's question startled Abby and she froze. Gibbs knew her age, but he'd kept her secret for years. One look at Sarah's mother and she knew this was one question she wasn't going to be able to avoid. "Thirty-seven, I'm thirty-seven." Behind her Tim straightened up in shock, but stayed silent.
"So Roger is the same age?"
"He's about year older, why?"
Abby's question was ignored. "You've heard the story surrounding Sarah's birth, I assume?"
"Yes..." Even if she wasn't currently part of the inner circle at NCIS, this was too big of a story to not be picked up and spread throughout the building.
"I was fifteen when Sarah was conceived. I'm sure you can do the math, Abby."
The math was easy even without knowing exact birth dates, and Abby stilled as she realized that Rebecca was close to her her own age. Her scientific mind was more specific, Sarah was young enough to be her daughter. Her hands over her mouth muffled her words, but didn't block them completely. "Oh, God."
"Tell me Abby, why exactly you thought this man, who was old enough to be her father, was someone you wanted her to be involved with?" Rebecca leaned forward and stared at Abby.
---NCIS---
Richard knew something big was up when Gibbs didn't say a word all the way back to the Yard, opting to use the drive through window at the coffee shop. They were in the elevator at NCIS before Richard demanded to know what was going on, in a conference room before Gibbs would tell him what was going on. "Phillip McGee is in Navy custody."
"What? How?" Richard sat heavily in the nearest chair at the large table. "He's a civilian now, why would the Navy arrest him? Is this because he hit Tim, and Tim is a federal agent?"
Gibbs joined him at the table. "As much as I would love to nail his ass for what he did to Tim, it would do more harm than good."
"Because it would force Tim to be the one to file charges." Richard thought about it for a moment. "The old man has Tim convinced that he deserves whatever he dishes out, doesn't he?"
"I'm afraid so. We're going to work on that, but in the meantime, we can nail him for kidnapping Sarah." Gibbs took a sip of his coffee as he watched for the reaction.
Richard seemed stunned. "Ever since your Director contacted us, all we've been thinking about was that fact that she was alive. I never stopped to consider how they faked her death or kept her from us."
"I understand." Gibbs gave a sad smile. "I probably would have done the same thing in your shoes. We're the investigators, let us worry about the legal end of things. He's in custody, the FBI is going after his wife, and your family will be safe, you just concentrate on the joy of having a daughter."
"She is a joy. Already, I can't imagine my life without her." Richard set his own coffee down on the table, turning serious. "Tim hasn't told us details, but I could tell he was worried about the effect this would have on you. I'm guessing you've lost a child."
"My own daughter..." Gibbs had to stop to clear his throat. "My daughter and her mother were killed when Kelly was only eight.
"My God, I'm so sorry."
"Don't be, just... cherish every day you get with her."
---NCIS---
Roger Harris sat in the prison transfer van and smiled. His lawyer had answered all his questions, including the ones about the route the van would take. He had that effect on women when he wanted, of course it had taken several months of going through public defenders before he was assigned a female attorney. Two more turns and they would be on a stretch of road with no businesses, no cross-roads, and virtually no traffic. His hand made shank had been finished the week before and he knew which of the three guards had the keys to his handcuffs. He also knew which of the other inmates in the van would jump at a chance to help take out the guards and which ones would just run. Everything was ready, he smiled as the large van made the next turn.